This Leftover Dessert Is The Perfect Base For Ice Cream Sandwiches

If leftover dessert sounds just about as unlikely as leftover wine (which you should store in a Mason jar), then you're likely unprepared for the event. Even the sweetest teeth can simply overbuy, or become the unwitting recipient of leftovers after a party. If those extras happen to be donuts, then ice cream sandwiches help use them up.

Glazed, cake, and any kind of frosted ring donut work perfectly for this application. You can even use filled varieties, but it's a little messier. Most donut flavors work with whatever ice cream you already have in the freezer, barring assertive outliers such as mint chocolate chip. Once you've gathered your materials, these upgraded ice cream sandwiches are as simple to make as slicing the donut in half widthwise and filling it with the frozen treat. There are also a couple of tricks for making it even easier.

Paradoxically, you want your donut to be a little firmer than normal and your ice cream a little softer than usual when combining the two. You don't want the donut to excessively crumb or tear when you're trying to spread the ice cream, which is inevitable if said ice cream is super solid. Freeze the donuts for an hour or two before slicing to give them a little more structural integrity, and let the ice cream sit on the counter for a few minutes so it becomes a little more malleable (storing your ice cream container in a resealable plastic bag keeps it softer to begin with).

A heaping scoop of ice cream per donut should be enough to create an abundant confectionary sandwich. Plop one on the bottom of each of your donut halves, smooth it into an even layer with whatever's handy, top, and gently press down to better set. You can also wrap the finished donut ice cream sandwiches firmly in plastic wrap and freeze for another hour to hold everything together and give it a polished appearance.